Rosa Parks Award

The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County’s Community Outreach Providing Empowerment (COPE) programs committee annually selects recipients of its Rosa Parks Award.

This award honors women in our community who have:

Fostered a culture of inclusion in the Asheville community.
Worked to achieve a just society for the disadvantaged.
Exemplified a nonviolent philosophy in pursuit of a better life for non-majority people.
Inspired direct action in the cause of social justice.

2023 Honorees

Willie Mae Brown

Annette Coleman

Catherine Mitchell

Dolly Jenkins-Mullen

Award Ceremony

"The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Association of Asheville and Buncombe County is part of the community, and our community is a diverse gathering of people who all are affected by gun violence and the trauma it creates. Gun violence does not have a regard for race, age or gender. It's a community issue, and the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Association will listen, work and contribute to the efforts of those individuals and organizations that have led in wrestling with this issue over a long period of time. We can all work together to make a difference in our community."

-Dr. Oralene Graves Simmons, President,
The Martin Luther King, Jr., Association of Asheville & Buncombe County